Zip fastener slider

ABSTRACT

A sliding clasp for a zip fastener having a tab with a tooth which can extend through a central aperture in the sliding clasp to engage the teeth of the zip and lock the sliding clasp against movement in either direction. The tooth is perpendicular to the tab. The tab is hinged to the sliding clasp by means of two upstanding lugs, one on each side of the aperture through which the tooth on the tab extends when the tab is rotated to be substantially parallel to the body of the sliding clasp.

United States Patent Inventor Vlncenzo llotte [56] References Cited Turin. y UNITED STATES PATENTS :53:- $3 5 1970 2,383,]97 8/1945 Johnson 24/205.14 A

I 4 Pam! "L197. 2 n35 Ol Sy/l958 Malcolm 2 1205 I4 A Assignee Remmert Vale & Co. Socletn per Azioni 'y m w- B rnard A. Qelak Turin, [u], Attorney-Sughrue, Rothwell, Mion, Zinn & MacPeak Priority Sept. 19. 1969 Italy 9305 5/69 ABSTRACT: A sliding clasp for a zip fastener having a tab with a tooth which can extend through a central aperture in the sliding clasp to engage the teeth of the zip and lock the ER l g sliding clasp against movement in either direction. The tooth 8 is perpendicular to the tab. The tab is hinged to the sliding U.S. Cl 24/205." clasp by means of two upstanding lugs, one on each side of the hit. AMI) 19/30 aperture through which the tooth on the tab extends when the Field of Search 24/205.I4 tab is rotated to be substantially parallel to the body of the A sliding clasp.

I a i i I 'l w I g l a s J l- 1' I 11 I I 11 l ll Patented Aug. 10, 1971 INVENTOR VINCE/7Z0 ILOTTE ATTORNEYS ZIP F ASTENER SLIDER This invention relates to sliding clasps for zip fasteners, particularly plastics material zip fasteners; of the type provided with means to block the movement of the sliding clasp in either direction along the zip fastener.

Sliding clasps for zip fasteners are generally formed by a metallic body comprising two parallel plates, connected by an intermediate web (called the "heart because of its distinctive shape) at one end of the sliding clasp the two plates have flanges at the sides which, with the heart," form two convergent channels through which pass the elements of the zip fastener when the slide is moved in one direction or the other along the zip fastener. The sliding clasp is provided on the outside face with a tab, formed by a plate hinged to the outside face of the sliding clasp by means of which the sliding clasp can be moved.

In general the tab is provided with a tooth which can engage the teeth of the zip fastener through an aperture in the upper plate of the sliding clasp in order to lock the sliding clasp against movement in either direction along the zip fastener.

For zip fasteners of plastics material locking presents some difficulties because of the intrinsic elasticity of the teeth; it is preferable that any locking of the sliding clasp onto the teeth takes place in a central position on the zip fastener so as to exercise a certain degree of compression on the pair of adjacent teeth engaged with one another.

According to the present invention there is provided a sliding clasp for a zip fastener of plastics material having a tab hingedly attached to the sliding clasp by means of two upstanding lugs on the sliding clasp, the tab having two apertures for cooperation with the lugs to allow the tab to be rotated about the said hinged attachment and a tooth projecting from the central region between the two apertures of the tab the tooth being arranged to pass through a central aperture in the face of the sliding clasp to engage the teeth ofthe zip fastener when the tab is rotated to lie substantially parallel to the face of the sliding clasp.

The main characteristic of sliding clasps constructed in accordance with this invention lies in the fact that the upper plate of the body of the sliding clasp is provided with two parallel lugs between which extends a central longitudinal aperture and that the tab has two parallel apertures near the hinge to allow the tab to rotate about the two lugs of the sliding clasp. The two apertures of the tab are separated by a central web from whose inside face projects a moulded tooth which can engage centrally the teeth of the zip fastener in order to lock the sliding clasp by passing through an aperture of the sliding clasp itself.

One embodiment of this invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which;

FIG. I is a plan view on an enlarged scale of one embodiment of a sliding clasp for zip fasteners constructed in accordance with this invention; and

FIG. 2 is a side view in elevation, partially in section, taken on the line ll-ll of FIG. I. I

The body of a sliding clasp for plastics material zip fasteners generally indicated 1 comprises a lower plate 2 and an upper plate 3. The upper plate 3 is parallel to the lower plate 2 and is provided with moulded flanges 4 perpendicular to the plane of the plate 3. The two plates 2 and 3 are connected by a transverse web 5, called the "heart" (because of its characteristic shape as seen in broken outline in FIG. I) near one end of the clasp.

The upper plate 3 has two upstanding parallel lugs 6 each of which has an aperture which forms part ofa hinge ll with the cooperating parts of a tab 8. Between the two lugs 6 there is a longitudinal aperture 7 along the center of the upper plate 3 of the sliding clasp.

A tab 8 formed by a plate provided with an opening 9 near its free end is hinged at its other end 11 to the lugs 6.

On the tab 8, ad acent the hinge ll there are two parallel apertures 10, through which the lugs 6 of the sliding clasp can pass as the tab is rotated about the hinge ll. The two apertures 10 of the tab are separated by a central web from whose lower face projects a moulded tooth 12, which can project through the central aperture 7 of the sliding clasp when the tab is rotated so as to lie parallel to the body of the sliding clasp, as illustrated in FIG. 2. The tooth 12 of the tab can therefore engage centrally with the teeth of the zip in order to lock the sliding clasp against movement along the zip fastener in either direction.

The tooth 12 has a profile substantially triangular; its apex is delimited by a straight side facing the heart 5 and by an angled side, facing the opposite way.

Naturally the details of this embodiment can be varied substantially without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

What l claim is:

1. A sliding clasp for a zip fastener of plastics material,

two upstanding lugs on said sliding clasp a tab hingedly attached to said sliding clasp by means of said lugs two apertures in said tab for cooperation with said lugs whereby said tab is rotatable about said hinged attachment on said sliding clasp a central web on said tab between said two apertures,

a tooth on said tab projecting from said web between said two apertures,

an aperture in said sliding clasp through which said tab projects when said tab is rotated to be substantially parallel to said sliding clasp whereby said tooth engages with a central region of said zip fastener to lock said sliding clasp against movement in either direction along said zip fastener.

2. The sliding clasp of claim I wherein said tooth is substantially triangular in shape and has at least part of one side substantially perpendicular to said tab. 

1. A sliding clasp for a zip fastener of plastics material, two upstanding lugs on said sliding clasp a tab hingedly attached to said sliding clasp by means of said lugs two apertures in said tab for cooperation with said lugs whereby said tab is rotatable about said hinged attachment on said sliding clasp a central web on said tab between said two apertures, a tooth on said tab projecting from said web between said two apertures, an aperture in said sliding clasp through which said tab projects when said tab is rotated to be substantially parallel to said sliding clasp whereby said tooth engages with a central region of said zip fastener to lock said sliding clasp against movement in either direction along said zip fastener.
 2. The sliding clasp of claim 1 wherein said tooth is substantially triangular in shape and has at least part of one side substantially perpendicular to said tab. 